Author: WILSON, SIR SAMUEL.
Title: Proceedings on Laying The Memorial Stone of the Wilson Hall of the University of Melbourne.
Description: First Edition; Medium 8vo; pp. xxxx, 42; two folding illustrations of Wilson Hall one of the outside the other of the interior, original printed wrappers, it would appear that some copies of this book have a portrait illustration, this copy does not, small piece missing from corner of front and back wrapper, otherwise a very good copy. Melbourne; Stillwell And Co., Collins Street East; 1879. The building was made possible by a donation of 30,000 pound by Samuel Wilson (1832-1895). Wilson arrived in Victoria from Ireland in 1852 to join his three brothers who had stablished squatting runs in the Wimmera during the 1840's. With the assistance of his brothers he purchased Longerenong station on the Wimmera River, from which beginnings he established a vast pastoral empire. At the time of his donation to the university in 1874, Wilson's income was estimated at 100,000 pound a year and he was reputed to own more sheep than anyone else in the world, with 600,000 head spread across his vast landholdings.

Keywords: Melbourne University History Wilson Hall Samuel Wilson Victoria Local History